The World-Wide Web is based upon the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”), which allows a user to quickly and easily access any number of servers attached to the Internet and to quickly and easily jump from one location to another. The locations may be on the same information server that a user is currently “visiting” or may be on an information server located half way around the world. This “Web” of information servers represents a vast store of easily accessible information.
For a variety of reasons, it is frequently desirable to record and evaluate the large number of information requests and responses handled by the Web server(s) at a given Web site. For this reason, conventional Web servers normally include a mechanism for compiling a log file which records information on every received HTTP request, including the domain name of the remote host making the request, an identification of the remote user, the date and time of the request, the request line exactly as received, the status code returned to the client, and the length of the response returned. In order to identify the aforesaid remote user, Web servers place identification tags, such as COOKIE and LSO's on the user's computer typically the first time they visit the Web Server. Upon subsequent visits by the user to the Web server, the aforesaid Cookie and/or LSO is sent in the HTTP request which the Web server uses to identify the user to preferably enable value added services (e.g., provide targeted content and/or advertising).
There are several noted disadvantages with using Cookies and/or LSO's for identifying a user. For instance, a user may instruct her web browser not to accept Cookies. A user may intentionally or unintentionally delete Cookies from their computer. Also, since LSO's are used for Flash players, if a user does not use a Flash player, LSO's may be placed within the user's computer. Likewise, a user may refuse to accept LSO's. Further, there is a growing public concern that the use of Cookies and LSO's to identify a user triggers right to privacy issues, thus the use of Cookies and LSO's may be obviated by public or government decree.